Oscar Scarione picked up a brace while Vidar Kjartansson scored a goal early on in the second half as Maccabi had an easy time in one of the most difficult stadiums in Israel winning 3:0 against an overmatched Sakhnin as they now set their sights on Sunday night’s Derby versus Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Prematch
Head Coach Shota Arveladze made wholesale changes to the lineup which started on Sunday against Hapoel Raanana, however as usual Serbian Predrag Rajikovic was in goal for the Georgian boss. Eli Dasa, Eitan Tibi, Tal Ben Haim and Omri Ben Harush provided the defense while Captain Gal Alberman anchored the midfield alongside Haris Medunjanin and Nosa Igiebor. a trio of Yossi Benayoun, Oscar Scarione and Vidar Kjartansson.
Available on the bench for Arveladze were Daniel Lifshitz, Eden Ben Basat, Dor Micha, Dor Peretz, Egor Filipenka, Eyal Golasa and Barak Itzhaki.
First Half
Medunjanin looked to surprise Sahknin keeper Kandil from long range but the midfielder’s 5th minute 30 meter blast was pulled in the by the shot stopper. Number 4 tried his luck again eight minutes later from far out to no avail, while two minutes later Igibeor’s scorcher flew over the bar to keep the match scoreless.
However, it would not stay goalless for long as Medunjanin was pulled down in the box in the 25th minute, good for a penalty that Scarione duly converted with authority to give the Yellow & Blue a 1:0. Kjartansson almost doubled Maccabi’s lead in the 30th minute but his screamer was brilliantly saved by Kandil to keep the score as is.
Sakhnin has a chance to equalize in the 40th minute but a cross box pass didn’t find its intended target and was cleared by the Maccabi defenders. A minute later, Rajikovic was up to the task and blocked the ball sending it out for a corner.
With just a few minutes remaining in the half, Alberman passed the ball to Benayoun but the latter’s attempt went over the goal as Maccabi went into the break holding a 1:0 lead.
Second Half
It didn’t take long for Maccabi to double the score as Kjartansson took a Ben Haim assist and made the most of his chance by finding the back of the goal for a 2:0 advantage in the 47th minute.
Following a 52nd minute yellow card to Medunjanin, the midfielder almost added another goal to his sides’s output as his free kick clanged off of the post. Twelve minutes later, Benayoun handed the ball off to Scarione, but the Argentine’s effort went over the bar.
Head Coach Arveladze made his three substitutions between the 73rd and 80th minutes as Eyal Golasa, Dor Micha and Eden Ben Basat all came into the contest in favor of Alberman, Kjartansson and Benayoun. Scarione added a late goal from a brilliant Micha pass as Maccabi wrapped up a tidy 3:0 victory just four days before the Derby.
